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Last updated 10 December 2013

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Welcome to the BBC's live coverage of the official memorial service in honour of the former South African President, Nelson Mandela.

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Thousands of South Africans are singing and dancing inside the FNB stadium in Soweto under an overcast sky as they await the start of the ceremony.

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Those paying tribute will include four of Mandela's grandchildren, a former fellow inmate of his at Robben Island, the UN secretary general, and chair of the African Union commission. The six presidents due to speak include Barack Obama and Raul Castro of Cuba. Here's a fuller list of world leaders attending